Tag: #NYC

Love Shack Fancy; Modern Romantic Boutique

Cosmopolitan Compact

There is a brand that conjures up images of floral patterns, shades of pastel, white eyelet, pink hearts and tulle material. It is a reminder of Marie Antoinette decor meets girls dancing at ballet recitals. The name, Love Shack fancy or LSF. The creative director and founder, Rebecca Hessel Cohen, works with her husband. Love Shack Fancy began 6 years ago, with a boutique in East Hampton. It then came to NYC, on Bleecker Street in the West Village, and more recently, on Madison Avenue. There are new stores on Melrose Avenue, Newport Beach, CA and Palm Beach. Yesterday, a Texas store opened in Dallas’ Highland Park Village Shopping Center and then another opening in Austin. Ruffles, tulle and pink and white cowboy boots with hand painted heart emblems and cowgirl hats, are pictured on opening day. A floral pastel colored cake with a fondant image of Texas is presented in celebration. Well, after the state’s power outage and Covid times, why not have a party and go big. The concept began when Rebecca H. Cohen designed bridesmaid dresses for her wedding. She has an eye for color, detail and a unique design concept. RHC had done editorial magazine work for Cosmopolitan Magazine, but retail is in her blood. The online Love Shack Fancy site is doing well and Instagram and other social media platforms show the latest knit tops and legging combinations, whimsical dresses, skirts, accessories and shoes. A feature of this store, it carries merchandise for adult females and young girls, mothers and young girls who shop for matching outfits. This captures images of mother and daughter bonding, at events such as; springtime parties, Easter, weddings and birthday parties. Rebecca Cohen has two young daughters, Sophia and Scarlett. The young sophisticated sisters could be models for the line and are pictured on Instagram wearing the brand at their festive birthday parties with pink balloons and playing dress up in mom’s high heels. The pink and gold lettered shopping bags, floral linens, pillows, hanging flower displays, tables settings and ballet tutus, create a mixture of modern Edwardian and Victorian. The 2021 summer line is out and the floral and pretty pastel swimwear will look great at the backyard pool or beach. LSF has a collaboration with Hurley’s Women, a swimsuit brand which is prefect for the modern women who likes spending time on the beach. LSF boutiques draw shoppers to fill a niche market.

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Clarins Paris, Total Eye Lift

Cosmopolitan Compact

Eye cream, a ritual in most people’s skin routine. Clarins, a prestige cosmetics line based out of Paris, makes am eye lift concentrate which helps to smooth fine lines and wrinkles as well as help clear up dark circles. The under eye skin is 7 times more sensitive than the rest of your skin, why not choose a product such as : Clarin’s Total Eye Lift to brighten and tone your eye area. The red bottle has a dispenser top which lets you put a dab of the cream around your eye orbit and penetrate the skin during the day or night. This concentrate is powered by two plant ingredients, Organic Harungana extract and Cassie Flower Wax. It can provide an immediate lifting and smoothing effect. Clarins states the the eye cream has 94 % ingredients of natural origin. It has a blend of horse chestnut escin, albizia extract organic guarana, plant based caffeine and shea butter are a combine of elements which help to diminish circles, smooth eye skin and reduce puffiness. It is a lightweight formula and has an ultra balm texture, blending right into the skin. It is easy to then apply eye makeup. The slogan; “Good For The Skin, Good For The Planet”. Clarins has a fair trade partnership Jardins du Monde which enables the purchase of Organic Harungana to improve the local communities who harvest the plant. Their headquarters are in Paris and Neuily-sur-Seine and the customer relations is in NYC.. Clarins promise; to see major results within a month, but it will refresh and brighten the eye area, giving skin a glow, immediately. Applying the concentrate from temple to temple and watch the video as to how to accurately apply.

Paris and Nicky Hilton; Socialite Sisters

Cosmopolitan Compact

As long as there has been Reality TV, night club promoters and parties, fashion designers, influencers, Paris’ pink and sparkle, Nicky’s French Sole shoe collaboration, a start up Hilton boutique and celebutantes, the Hilton sisters have become a household name. Paris Hilton’s expression; that’s hot and sliving-slay/living and chihuahua, Tinkerbell, have become pop culture. Born to Richard and Kathy Hilton, they were born in LA and moved to NYC. Kim and Kylie, are their maternal aunts and have been on The Housewives of Beverly Hills, the family fame game is de rigeur. They’re the great granddaughter’s of Conrad Sr. and the grandaugther’s of Barron Sr., founders of Hilton Hotels. Their world has revolved around in living in NYC and Beverly Hills, traveling to places such as: Las Vegas, Paris, London, Ibiza and around the world, we have watched the pair of sisters grow up. The Hilton Hotel Corporation and Hilton Foundation, started by Conrad and Baron Srs., a worldwide hotel chain and business and an established philanthropic foundation, lends to the family name.

Paris and Nicky Hilton seem closer than ever and have q and a sessions and are in the spotlight again. Paris has created the campaign #breakingcodesilence in order to end the troubled teen industry, where schools such as the one she attended, Provo County in Provo, Utah, have made the news. Her documentary; “This is Paris” shows her life in music, merchandise, fashion and personal interests, but focuses on teens at a school which is marketed as therapeutic, but ended up being a nightmare for her and many of her peers. She speaks of the school staff screaming and keeping her in isolation, which resulted in a diagnosis of PTSD and night terrors There are other similar programs across the U.S.. Provo Canyon, was sold to another company, they deny these allegations. She is well remembered for her reality show; The Simple Life, with Nicole Richie. A parody with the two milking cows while residing on a rural farm and making blunders at a fast food place, while missing their cosmopolitan lifestyles. She speaks of this as a comedy and her perception of acting ditzy, being well that, an act. Paris Hilton has a taste for bling which can be seen in her passion for sparkles, her favorite color pink and clothing collection. For her 21 birthday, she wore a short silver Swarovski Crystal beaded dress, designed by Julian MacDonald which was paired with a tiara. Kendall Jenner copied the dress and Nicky, have worn the actual ensemble for a party. Her days of self promotion with other celbutante influencers such as; Kim Kardashian are not quite at the same level. She has her music career where she sings pop songs and DJ’s. Paris has created a multi million dollar business with products ranging from perfumes to clothing. Paris and Nicky’s favorite travel destination; Tokyo. They worked with Japanese handbag designer, House of Samantha Thavasa. Paris was a model and Nicky worked on creative, Paris has matured, almost 40, she is in love with bf, Carter Reum. According to People Magazine and other media outlets, the couple is trying to conceive using IVF. Paris Hilton influences a fantasy world which is glamorous, but some of it is business and not all is perfect and golden.

Nicky Hilton married banking heir, James Rothschild in London’s Kensington Palace, She had a lavish wedding and wore a custom made Valentino wedding dress which required many atelier fittings. The couple have two daughters, Lily Grace who is 4 and Theodora or Teddy, 3 yrs old. Nicky Hilton collaborates on a shoe line with French Soles. The shoes are flats, some with tie bows and come in a rainbow of colors. Some have designs with leopard patterns, velvet and a set of batting eyes with eyelashes, The sisters were offered a role on Sex and The City, but this did not work out,. Nicky works with a foundation which helps to prevent child sex trafficking. Nicky collaborated on an eye makeup line with SmashBox Cosmetics. The eye palette features a smoky color palette, eyeliner and mascara, packaged in a black case with a cat eye symbol. She designed jewelry for a company and has come out with a book: Style 365.

sThe Hilton sisters have two younger brothers, Barron who recently married and the couple has a newborn daughter, Milou. As well as the youngest sibling, Conrad. Keep on the lookout for a new generation of Hiltons.

Streets of Dreams: The Diamond District

Cosmopolitan Compact

The Diamond District, located in Midtown Manhattan, has been the center of the diamond trade for over a hundred years. Marcus Lemonis, the star of CNBC’s: The Profit, has a five part series covering five interesting city districts around the U.S.. He decided to to cover the business and trade aspects of NYC’s diamond district. Diamonds are a valuable commodity and have been used as one of the most precious gemstones in jewelry throughout history to the present day. The traditional diamond engagement ring and a wedding proposal conjure up images of love, romance and fidelity. Marilyn Monroe sang; Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend and Madonna’s Material Girl hit video illustrates the allure of sparkly white diamonds. Elizabeth Taylor and her jewelry collection as well as her signature, White Diamond perfume is another pop culture reference to the gemstone’s desirability. The show portrays West 47th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues, as rows of store fronts with jewelry displayed in windows and the booths. Men use a magnifying tool to inspect the diamond and business people scurry around the diamond shaped building which is the center of the district. Lemonis’s goal, breaking some of the mystery on the streets which sell diamonds, the hawkers in front of stores, negotiations, backrooms and the trade which rocks the area. Movies such as; Uncut Gems and A Stranger Among Us are films illustrating the lives of characters who walk paths of diamonds, money, intrigue, generational mystique and gambling. Marcus Lemonis questions if the millennial generation will buy the same jewelry as past generations. The answer is yes. Even if the stores, nature of business, branding, people and styles change, the diamond district will carry on.

The diamond market has international business centers in New York, Antwerp, Belgium, Amsterdam and diamond mining in several African countries. India is a major force in the diamond trade. The blood diamond conflict is brought up, but the presentation centers on the standards which the diamond district adheres: a code of trust and the production line of: mining, stone cutting, polishers, distributers, traders to the retail-merchandise floor. The industry uses the Rapaport book to describe the value of a diamond’s clarity, cut, color and carat. Lemonis talks with several companies which showcase the diversity of styles. Shiffon Company is a line which features a pinky ring, named the duet ring. The start up venture began as the brainchild of Shilpa Yarlagadda who is creating “a new generation of jewelry.” She is a business student and entrepreneur is on a hiatus from her studies at Harvard. Yarlagadda taught herself jewelry design online. The pinky ring is a symbol of a pinky promise which pledges that females can achieve entrepreneurial status and spiral upwards to their dreams. The ring’s spiral design comes in silver, yellow gold and rose gold with a diamond positioned towards the top. Shiffon is comprised of an all female team who work together on the jewelry and 50 % of sale’s profits support capital venture funding to female owned businesses. Their website features prominent female CEO’s in technology, cosmetics, fashion and education. Shilpa Yarlagadda developed The Startup Girl’s Foundation to support other females. Shiffon focuses on this ring which is worn by Emma Watson, Nicole Kidman, Shalaine Woodsy and Michelle Obama. Instagram influencer, Richie Rich, runs a third generation company, selling higher end bling to a men’s market. Big rings with large stone settings and thick layered gold chains, which can run up to millions of dollars. Richie Rich creates “high end art” and the jewelry has a hip hop vibe. Many of the clients are athletes, celebrities and influencers. Richie started a new phase of the business, posting images of the jewelry on sites such as; Instagram. Jacob and Co., owned by Jacob Arabo, is a known for a hip hop style collection, intricate colorful stones and trendy high end watch merchandise. Jacob was born in Uzbekistan, a Mizrahi Jew who immigrated to the US. He worked in the diamond district before opening a store off of Madsion Avenue and is nicknamed; “The King of Bling”. His jewelry is styled with big and plentiful diamonds and unique watches with design images of a roulette wheel, collaborations with Paramount Pictures for The Godfather watch, a Bugatti brand watch and the Astronomia collection. A fairly new jewelry niche are synthetic or lab grown diamonds which are expected to reach peak sales by 2025. They are now classified as diamonds, similar to the natural ones, but the diamonds do not take billions of years to develop underground and cost less. Lemonis takes us to see an office where the owner sells synthetic diamond jewelry, The owner’s marketing message; they look just like the natural ones to the human eye, educate the consumer. Another store has estate jewelry from Cartier and Bulgari. A model shows a ruby and diamond necklace as well as elaborate blue sapphire and diamond drop earrings. Many years of trade and trust have been built on these Midtown Manhattan streets, mostly occupied by a majority of the Orthodox Jewish community. It has been “easy” for the community to trade in diamonds, as they are small and easy to carry. As Orthodox Jews often fled persecution, the diamond business became a stable occupation. The tradition has passed through many generations. Trust is earned and anyone who violates the trust in the trade, can be blocked from ever doing business again. The majority of diamonds pass through the diamond district and are sold to other household name brand boutiques, even if the new price is slightly higher. The motto; diamonds are a girl’s best friend can ring true.

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